Job Discussion Forums

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

This thread seems to be going in circles. The terms "work visa" and "labor card" are being interchanged and may have confused people. It used to be that there was only a stamp in your passport saying that you could work. Now some of the countries in the Gulf provide 'labor cards' (called iqama on the SA branch).

To summarize, a wife and kids comes into the country under the husband's residence visa - normally arranged by his employer along with his "labor card." That allows her to live there, but not work... legally. But, she is free to look for a job, and when and if she finds a job, the employer should make her work legal by providing a "labor card." Many employers will try to skip this step as it costs them money. But, as Stoth points out, one then has no recourse to the legal system in case of problems.

So, nothing has changed much here. This has been the system for at least the last 20 years or so.

VS

trapezius · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject:

^ But lynnknows says the laws have changed in the UAE. She says a spouse on her husband's iqama can work legally.

If that is true, that's a step in the right direction, and Saudi should follow suit.

This slavery (iqama) system will be disbanded one day anyway; let's hope it happens soon.

stoth1972 · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:28 pm Post subject:

I know of lots of schools that hire women w/o labour cards (and medical). They were there on their husband's sponsorship. Those women were all illegally employed. As already mentioned, it's absolutely very common. If it's changed, then this would be a great loss of revenue for the UAE. In a country with no taxes, they gotta get the cash somehow.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

lynnknows · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:57 am Post subject:

My Goodness, I didn't think this would be so hard. A woman, or a man, that is here on their spouse's residency visa is only legal to LIVE in the UAE. The spouse is the only one that can work legally because they have thier own labor card. IF they, the man or woman, chooses to work LEGALLY they have to take a job that will give them a contract and labor card. Without these things they are working illegally. A labor card is only valid for ONE PERSON.

trapezius · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:17 am Post subject:

So basically you are saying what everybody else has been saying.

But Lord knows what you meant here:

lynnknows · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:29 am Post subject:

I meant what I wrote. They are on the husband's VISA, and they had jobs. Meaning they can live here because of thier husband, but work here becasue their jobs gave them thier OWN labor card, NOT VISA. These are two seperate things. the visa allows you to live here the labor card allows you to work here.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

The problem Lynn was that the way you stated it wasn't clear unless people read it carefully. Your second version was much clearer. Laughing

One problem is that the readers need to understand the system... that someone comes in with his/her family on a "residence visa." Then the employer(s) arrange a "work visa" or "labor card" for anyone who is working.

It is legal for the accompanying spouse to look for a job, but any employer is legally obligated to provide an official labor card. The problem comes in where the employer refuses to follow the law as it costs money. The illegally working spouse will not be deported over this, but can be subject to employer abuse with no recourse.

Now... working on a tourist visa will get you kicked out if you get caught. Cool

VS

stoth1972 · Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:18 pm Post subject:

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Fortunately never had to. I entered the Gulf with an MA. Cool

But I have encountered online a few people that tried it. It only works on a real short time basis.

But... again we digress... Laughing

VS

sandy gallop · Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Posts: 33 Location: San Dunia

stoth1972 · Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 5:58 am Post subject:

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

Sandygallop, that's interesting. Bar one person, I've never met anyone who didn't have a labor card in UAE. Is it possible that your employer is holding onto them for the employees? At HCT, they used to use their labor cards (also known as employee cards) to get discounts at various retail outlets.

Afra · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 389

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

So, it sounds like if you are a government employee, you don't get a labor card in the UAE or at least no one calls it that. When I was at HCT, as I understood it, the "work visa" was part of the residence stamp received after arrival. Our only ID was from HCT and we just called it our ID. I actually still have mine.

The only time I had an official 'labor card' was in Oman when working for a private employer. It was a small plastic card like a driver's license and we went to a government building to get it.

I went and looked at my older visa stamps. Both Oman and the UAE had boxes across the top of the visa - which used to be a large pasted-in stamp - where they chose whether it was tourist - residence - or employment (bi-lingually). Later years they changed to stamps that used ink... and it became all Arabic.

VS